A new life
by Darknessisfalling
Summary: AU Slavery: Don't like, don't read. John returns home from army service injured and unhappy, to top it all he gets burdened or rewarded with the most unusual slave possible. No slash!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters

A new life

Chapter 1

John looked at the voucher in his hand. It was worth a hundred pounds. Money printed on grey army paper that he needed and couldn't spend. John could barely walk, his shoulder ached and this piece of paper was all the army thought his troubles had been worth. Okay. Psychosomatic leg injuries were probably too embarrassing for the army to acknowledge and compensate properly.

John limped into the International Slavery Institute in London, the place the voucher belonged to. The doctor couldn't buy a slave for hundred pounds. Any slave would cost a lot more than that. The voucher was obviously meant for slave equipment. John didn't even want a slave anyway. With his humble pension, he could barely feed himself. He shouldn't have waited until the day the voucher expired, but it was too depressing to ask for the hundred pounds in cash knowing for certain that they weren't even allowed to exchange the voucher for money. Anyway, he had to try.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The building was a pure showing off of wealth: white marble, extensive ornaments in red and gold. It was disgusting. The splendour was paid for with the blood of millions of slaves. And come to think of it, his own blood too. Hadn't he defended the system with life and health in this cursed war? Hadn't his comrades...

"Good morning, sir. How can I be of assistance?" A salesman grinned a wide toothpaste smile at John.

"How are you today, sir? We are very pleased to welcome you to our house. May I tell you about today's specials."

John was offered a seat on a comfortable dark red armchair and within seconds provided with a cup of tea. He barely noticed the slaves that silently flitted about the place.

Maybe it was a mistake to come here. John sipped his tea.

"... shame about the war..."

"... economic situation..."

John nodded and looked at a golden statue to his left-hand side. It was Aphrodite.

"... worth of slaves..."

"...money..."

"... no refund..."

John sighed and nodded again. So as expected, he couldn't exchange the voucher for money.

"But I think I got exactly the right one for you."

"What?" John exclaimed a bit louder than he intended.

"The right slave. That's what people are here for." The salesman said with an unfazed grin and waited.

"Yes, ...sure."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

„It is Caucasian with blue eyes, dark hair."

John winced at the word "it". "It" was a living creature, but not a person, not a human being.

"It is intelligent, well educated, learns fast, speaks four languages," the salesman went on, "It is completely healthy and passed both the endurance as well as the stamina test."

John's eyes narrowed. "You want to give me what you describe to be the perfect slave for one hundred pounds. What's the catch?"

The salesman's facial expression remained an unaltered grin. Maybe this was the only expression his face had in store.

"A skeptical man. I like that. Well, it is not in a flawless condition as we speak. The damages are barely mentionable though. I can assure you we never cause permanent harm. We are only talking about slight blemishes in appearance that will be healed in no time. It is fully operational and ready to serve."

John wasn't convinced. "There must have been a reason to cause the ...damage in the first place."

"Merely a standard procedure, believe me. Slaves that were born free and get enslaved as adults often have difficulties to adjust to their new place in society. It isn't rebellious though."

John raised his eyebrows. Now, that actually promised to be interesting. It was necessary to abuse and break a slave that wasn't rebellious. Completely reasonable.

"How do I put it best? Its manners are a bit crude, but it's completely harmless. It is not the submissive type by nature, you see."

John made a face implying he did not quite see. The salesman still grinned as if this was the most normal thing in the world. For him it probably was.

"For example, it will kiss your feet when ordered to," the salesman explained, "at least when it knows the consequences for defiance are much more unpleasant. But it will not kiss your feet out of subservience."

"I see," John said dryly.

"It is ready and willing to follow orders. All it needs is a strict hand and discipline. I'm sure for you as a soldier and war hero it won't be any trouble. But best see for yourself."

The salesman picked up his phone and almost whispered a few instructions.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

John drank his cup of tea as slowly as he could. This was crazy. He didn't want a slave. He couldn't even afford one. Even if the acquisition cost was covered by the voucher, he still had to feed him, clothe him and what not.

The clanking of metal made John turn around. A man completely dressed in black walked in with a completely naked slave, not counting the metal bonds restraining his wrists and ankles. The shackles granted the slave only just the freedom of movement that he needed to walk, not a millimeter more. Around his neck the slave wore a high-tech looking collar, blinking with a green light.

The man dressed in black pushed the slave to his knees so fast that John couldn't see his face. The way the slave was bent forward, all John could see of his head was a wild mob of dark curls. Bruises of different colours were scattered over the slave's body and red welts were on his back.

The doctor had to remind himself that he had seen worse. He knew it looked more horrible than it was serious. The injuries would heal, just like the salesman had said. In John's experience the things you didn't see were the true cause for alarm. It is possible to inflict an unbearable amount of pain without causing a single scar.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"We named it Blackie," the salesman said, "but you can call it whatever you like, of course."

The man dressed in black handed the salesman something that looked like a remote control and positioned himself a little further away, presumably to give them some space.

"I see you've noticed our M-A 2000. We nicknamed it Marvel because really an engineering marvel it is. ha ha..." The salesman snickered and the man in black joined in dutifully.

John kept a straight face.

As if by command both the salesman and the man in black stopped laughing abruptly. "The collar is our latest model," the salesman explained," it gives electroshocks in seven different intensities. Blackie's been trained with it. Here, let me demonstrate."

He pushed a button on the remote. "1 is to get its attention."

Blackie lifted his head, but kept it tilted. His eyes were cast down. His face was pale. Expressionless.

"2 is meant as immediate warning," the salesman continued. The slave showed no reaction.

"3 is a bit like a slap on the wrist."

Blackie grimaced briefly.

"4 is the intensity where the punishment levels start."

The slave winced.

"Yes, OK. I believe you, but I'm not interested in buying an electroshock collar," John said firmly.

"Are you sure? It's an easy and efficient way to control slaves that need a strict hand." The salesman pushed the 5 button. Blackie yelped and collapsed on the floor, his muscles twitched. He curled up and breathed heavily.

"Yes, I'm sure!" John exclaimed.

"Very well," the salesman said grinning from ear to ear. He clearly enjoyed this. "That's as far as the demonstration goes anyway. At level 6 they usually pee themselves and pass out at 7."

"Blackie, get up and present yourself," the salesman ordered.

The slave staggered to his feet. He stood in front of John, motionless. His breathing was back to calm and steady.

"You see, it can take it. No problem. it's in a good physical condition," the salesman advertised.

Malnourished and beaten more like. John finally got an opportunity to take a closer look at the slave's eyes. They were blue and their expression empty.

"I'll take him." John heard himself say.

The salesman grabbed John's hand and shook it. "I congratulate you on your purchase!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The purchase itself was simple. All John had to do was to fill in a form that required less information than when he had rented a flat. Nobody cared whether he was a smoker, had pets or most important whether he could afford it.

John was given a book with the ridiculous title "Slap slave - a useful manual for the slave owner", a leaflet that informed him about the right to return the slave and exchange "it" for another one of similar value within two weeks and a file on Blackie. The doctor signed a purchase agreement and suddenly was a slave owner.

Before he knew it, he was guided back to the grand entrance hall. The salesman grinned, made a few compliments, waved goodbye and walked away. John was left standing there and waited to receive his new property. He opened the file at a page that listed in vigorous detail all the features of the slave. John wondered if he had ever read anything this detailed about a car in his life. Probably not. He closed the file with a snap and shook his head. Strangely the splendor of the whole building didn't seem very intimidating anymore. A little red silk there, a little gold statue there. Well, _very impressive_... John's gaze went from statue to ornament to the next ... slave.

When he turned around, John's new possession stood before him. The slave was dressed in something resembling a grey convict's suit, wore a black standard leather collar instead of the horrible electronic one around his neck and had a small bag in his hand. John couldn't help but stare. He was aware that slaves usually came equipped with a few necessities like a toothbrush. That wasn't the problem. John noticed for the first time that the slave was tall. Considerably taller than him. And he made no move to appear smaller than his master. As he certainly ought to have done.

John looked around. A few people watched them and then quickly looked away. The doctor took a deep breath. This was ridiculous. To hell with expectations. He would not force a slave to cower into some kind of unhealthy contorted posture only because he happened to be tall.

"Alright, come here. Let's go home," John said to his slave and pointed at a spot on the ground right behind him. Blackie stepped up as he was ordered to. John could have sworn he perceived a sigh of relief. Was the slave relieved to be sold?

John limped outside the building, down the street towards the next tube station. It was not easy to cut his way through the crowd. Some people were just reckless and bumped into him. With his limp and walking stick he was to slow to make effective evasive maneuvers.

The doctor turned around to see if his property was keeping up, but he was nowhere to be seen. John had been a slave owner for five minutes and managed to lose his slave in the same short amount of time? That must have been a new record. He walked back a few steps to find Blackie supporting himself against a lamppost. He could barely stand.

John couldn't afford a cab. He would have happily paid for one to get this poor wretch home, but he couldn't. He grabbed his slave's arm and supported him the best he could given his own disability. Blackie scuffled along, his head bowed down. John noticed that he worked hard to keep on his feet.

After what seemed like an eternity they reached the Tube. This only meant an opportunity for John to sit down. The slave had to remain standing. Blackie clung to a handhold. It must have been the longest journey home ever. John was kind of glad that his slave wore that ugly grey suit that clearly stated International Slavery Institute. He would have felt uneasy if anyone thought he had caused the bad condition his property was in. But nobody took notice. Nobody even cared.


End file.
